Modern vehicles such as automobiles, aircraft, and watercraft utilize onboard sensors to support various functions, features, and subsystems. An automobile, for example, may include any or all of the following onboard sensors: wheel speed sensors; accelerometers; steering wheel angle sensors; temperature sensors; and the like. Frequent or real-time calibration of certain types of onboard sensors may be implemented to ensure that the raw sensor data can be adjusted or offset to provide accurate information to the subsystems or functions that rely on the sensor data.
Calibration of an onboard sensor can be performed while the vehicle is operating to minimize error associated with “zero” readings of the sensor. For example, if the vehicle is motionless, then a longitudinal acceleration sensor should generate a sensor value that is indicative of zero acceleration. In practice, however, the longitudinal acceleration sensor may produce a slight nonzero offset value under certain conditions, especially when the vehicle is in operation. This offset value can be used to calibrate actual measured sensor values obtained when the vehicle is in motion, resulting in more accurate longitudinal acceleration data.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have improved techniques for calibrating onboard vehicle sensors. In addition, it is desirable to have an improved calibration technique that leverages information and data that is readily available onboard the host vehicle such that onboard sensors can be calibrated in real-time while the vehicle is operational. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.